The Green and the See it All - The Ultimate Guide to San Francisco

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San Francisco, Bay Area, Silicon Valley – who doesn’t know of this world-famous metropolitan area, right? So, today I am not going to give you a typical ‘Top Things to do in San Francisco’ at least not right away. Instead, let me start with something bit more interesting. 

Every year, San Francisco is home to one of the largest Saint Patrick's Day celebrations in USA. Even though San Francisco is not one of those cities that have a very high Irish population in the country, Saint Patrick’s Day parade and festival draws a huge crowd to the heart of the city! Always held on either the second or third weekend of March (this year on 16^th March), this parade is a testament to the warm multicultural spirit of the city.

The Parade starts at 2^nd and Market St and makes its way to the UN Plaza area with scores of ivy coloured floats, Irish Dance Troupes, School Marching Bands, lot of music bands and a lot of local policemen, firemen and politicians – all flaunting the green for the day! And if the floats fail to impress you, the fancy dolled up vehicles will surely leave you speechless! If you have ever been to Nola (New Orleans) for the carnival, then you would relate to the madness of this parade too! Not as loud and crazy as Nola, but it does give you a fun-filled glimpse into the Irish Heritage in not just SF but the US. Meet some leprechauns, wish for some green luck, flaunt your beads and shamrocks and drink some ‘Irish Coffee’ because no one is going to judge you in SF on St. Patty’s day!

Now since you are in the heart of the Fog City, why restrict yourself to just the parade and merriment of the festival. Wouldn’t you want to explore all you can during the weekend? Since the St Patrick’s Day Parade happens around Market Street, which is close to Powell Street Station, whether you are taking the Bart, a cab or MUNI, Powell Street Station’s corner is where you would want to get to for the Parade. From here, you can explore the downtown, head over to Chinatown and enjoy some calm at Grace Cathedral or take the MUNI and head over to Pier 39 and nearby area if you don’t mind walking the hilly streets of SF.

Some Must Visit Places in SF and why!

(If you don’t have a car, and rely majorly on public transport and walking around)

1.   Mechanics' Institute Library and Chess Room – Famed as one of the oldest and still functioning private libraries of West Coast, USA, Mechanics' Institute Library and Chess Room at 57 Post St is at a walkable distance of 10 minutes from Union Square and is a hidden gem in the city. It is also a San Francisco historic landmark and in the Library floor is a big map of SF from 1854 which make the visit totally worth it if you love history! Oh and, if you have seen some beautiful insta-images of a shell-shaped stairway from SF, it is of this building.

2.  Chinatown – Being the oldest and largest Chinatown of the Americas is enough to convince anyone to give it a visit and hence I visited it too. From the ornate Sing buildings and Old Telephone Exchange and over-the-top but totally stunning shops around the Dragon Gate to dirt cheap souvenir shops and the numerous traditional eateries and teahouses, walking around Chinatown is surely one of the things I would recommend doing in SF. Given the area’s grey past and general image, I would not suggest going there alone at night but otherwise people I met there were really nice! Also, it is at a 15 mins walking distance from both Union Square and Mechanic’s Institute.

3.  Grace Cathedral – At just 10-minutes walking distance away from Chinatown, on Nob Hill, stands the stunning Grace Cathedral. Though “Grace Cathedral” has been a landmark of SF since 1850s, the current French Gothic structure was actually built recently after the last structure was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake-fire. What makes this cathedral a must visit are its towering stained glasses, the detailed replicas of the original ‘Gates of Paradise’ (from Grace church of Florence), its twin labyrinth and its sheer size!

4.  Ferry Building at Embarcadero – You can take the MUNI – C car from Grace Cathedral (California St & Taylor St) to Ferry Building.   Standing guard to the San Francisco Bay since 1898, this Ferry Building is one of the oldest Farmer’s markets in the bay area. Before the Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge were built, this was the second busiest water transit centre in the world! Though the place might be a shadow of its past glory, the place is still a charming local’s favourite for dining and shopping, and one can also hitch a ride in one of the two heritage cars from here!

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5.  Pier 39 – Get a MUNI from GraceCathedral (Powell and California street) or Ferry Building (F Market &Wharves Heritage Car) and head over to Pier 39 to say hello to some lazing sea lions. You can see sea lions at Pier 39 throughout the year, but during March and April the sea lions actually set a huge colony here. From Pier 39 you also get one of the best views of Angel and Alcatraz Island, Golden Gate Bridge, and the Bay Bridge! Apart from site-seeing, Pier 39 has countless dining and shopping options, a central carousel and best shops to get SF souvenirs.

6.  Fisherman’s Wharf – From Pier 39, you can walk to Pier 43 Ferry arch and head over to Fisherman’s Wharf. Fisherman’s Wharf is not only the home to SF Maritime National Historic Park and Madame Tussauds but also Boudin’s Sour Bread factory and Café and some of the best sea-food restaurants in the city! Also, be sure to spend some time at the Aquatic Park Pier before heading to a chocolaty treat at Ghirardelli!

7.  Ghirardelli Square – Walk up to the oldest and the original Ghirardelli shop in the world, just a block away from SF Maritime National Historic Park. The building is house to more than one Ghirardelli stores (the lower one being the original one) and a lot of other historic restaurants and stores which led to the building being added to the National Register of Historic Places. Apart from the traditional chocolates, don’t forget to indulge in some Ghirardelli sundaes or hot chocolate during your visit because you will need the calories for the next destination!

8.  Lombard Street – From Ghirardelli, you can walk up to this world famous snaking crooked street. Lombard street is not the most crooked or steepest street of SF, but its layout fenced by colourful flowers make it the prettiest crazy street of the town. I chose the end of the street to witness the madness, but you could also get to the top and walk down if you have the energy. I would not classify Lombard as a must visit, but if you have time and energy, the view of a car train meandering down the road is a fun sight.

9.  Palace of Fine Arts – Take MUNI Bus 30 or a cab from Lombard and head over to the spectacular Palace of Fine Arts. This monumental structure was originally constructed for 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition and was supposed to be demolished after the event. But the locals loved the structure so much that the authorities couldn’t destroy it. Eventually the original wood and POP structure had to be demolished and the current structure was made with more durable material, making this a permanent landmark of SF. The pond, the central rotunda, the pillared walls, the fountains – just all of it is so beautiful and makes this place a must visit!

10. Crissy Fields – Just 5 mins away from Palace of fine Arts is Crissy Field, a former U.S. Army airfield, which is now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and my favourite area to see the Golden Gate Bridge (and my favourite beach in the city too). With over a mile-long sandy beach, salt marsh and estuary patches, grassy fields, old fort quarters, the Golden Gate Bridge, there is no reason to not spend a blissful evening at Crissy Fields. And from Crissy you can walk up to Battery East point if you still want those picture-perfect Golden Gate click for yourself (though the walk is not that easy).

If you have a car, or are planning to take Uber/Lyft, do not miss out on:

1.   Twin Peaks – Second highest peak(s) in the SF and hands down the best 360 view of the city, make this the place you should not miss under any cost if you have a car! Given it is technically in the centre of the city, you not only get the best view of the SF downtown and rows and rows of painted ladies, you also get a sense of how small SF really is in comparison to other metropolitans. You can also get there via Uber/Lyft but the reception at the top is not that great and I was stuck for almost half an hour before I could get network to book a cab back.

2.  Land’s End and Sutro Baths– If Crissy Fields didn’t give you enough solitude and priceless views of the Bay, don’t worry Land’s End will surely do it!

3.  Golden Gate Park – This huge urban park is house to De Young museum, the oldest Japanese Garden in USA with an original Shinto temple, a beautiful open-air theatre called the Music Concourse, one of world’s largest Conservatory of Flowers, lakes and statues and countless trails! Takes about 3 hours or so to just explore this one park, and you would still feel like you haven’t seen it all. Sounds like a must visit right?

4.  Muir Woods - Muir Woods is biggest old growth coastal redwood forest in the SF bay area and the closest to SF. The towering trees here range from 400 to 800 years in age, some go as high as 250 feet! Unfortunately, even though there is a shuttle to the place, and cabs do get you to Muir, network in the forest is almost negligible so the best way to get there is by your car!

5.  Coit Tower – The 65m tall Coit Memorial Tower in Pioneer Park is dedicated to the volunteer firemen who had died in San Francisco fires. Inside the tower are some beautiful murals depicting commoner’s daily life and the top of the tower gives you a 360 view of downtown SF! Coit Tower and Pioneer Park are accessible by MUNI too from Embarcadero, but unfortunately it is a little out of the way and involves a crazy amount of walking thus, visit if you have a car or take an Uber.

So, there it is! There is a lot more to this colourful metro, but if you have a couple of days and want to visit the absolute must dos, hope this post helps you plan your trip!

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